


Last Daughter of Lykosia

by ChristaWolf



Series: Transcendence [1]
Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:01:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22851436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChristaWolf/pseuds/ChristaWolf
Summary: The story of Catarrah, future leader of the Rebellion, and how she came to wind up in the Horde. A prequel to Transcendence.
Series: Transcendence [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1674631
Kudos: 1





	Last Daughter of Lykosia

Catarrah loved going to Unbounding ceremonies. They didn’t happen very often, (usually once or twice a year) but when they did, it was always a time for celebration. The entire village of Fenris (located within the Etherian kingdom of Lykosia) would organize a party right in the middle of the village square, there was a parade after the main ceremony, school was cancelled… it was a happy day for everywolf, especially for the Unbound Ones.

Being an Unbound One meant occupying a very special place in Lykosian society. Free from the shackles of one’s birth, they were allowed to choose a new name and new pronouns, and they would be given a necklace, with pink, blue, and white beads dangling from a chain. They were treated with respect usually afforded to the royal family, and it was not uncommon for an Unbound to one day be elected monarch.

Whenever she would attend an Unbounding ceremony with her moms, Catarrah would think: “I wish I could be like them…” While just about everywolf thought that way, for her, she really meant it. Most of her friends were girls, the only boys she knew were the ones she went to school with. But she still didn’t voice her thoughts aloud.

While Unbounds were loved and respected by the majority of Lykosians, it wasn’t always true. Every once in a while, an Unbound would be rejected by their birth parents, and if that happened, the parents were cast out of the village, and their young would be adopted by the Elder Unbound.

Catarrah loved her parents, and she didn’t want them to be sent away like she’d heard had happened in other villages. “But then,” she thought, “if they didn’t like Unbounds, we’d never go to the ceremonies!” This calmed her. And so, one warm summer day, she made her decision: she would tell her parents that she was an Unbound.

This excited her so much that she ran as fast as she could back toward the little cottage she called home, leaving the playing field behind. 

Catarrah was a young wolf, little more than a pup. She had grey fur with cream colored markings, warm brown eyes, and curly brown hair that fell to her shoulders that bounced when she ran. She bounded through the front door of the cottage, much to the surprise of her mothers.

“Well, well, well! What’s gotten into you, pup?” Ace asked, looking up from her work. She was an engineer, and was always working on projects for the current royal family. She had blonde fur with streaks of brown in it, and bright green eyes.

“I… I…” Catarrah froze. This was her moment, she couldn’t get cold paws now! She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, like Mama Mags had taught her to do. Once she was calm, she reopened her eyes and said, “I’m an Unbound, Mama! I wanna be a girl when I grow up!”

Ace yipped and hugged her daughter tight, licking her nose fondly. “That’s wonderful news, pup! I’d always hoped we’d have an Unbound One in the family!” She cupped a paw to her muzzle and called, “Mags! We have a daughter now!”

Mags peeked her head out from her music room, looking surprised. “We do?! That’s amazing news! I’ll let the mayor know, and we can start planning the ceremony immediately!” She came out and joined in the hug, nuzzling both Ace and Catarrah. “An Unbound in our family… what a wonderful day!”

"I only wonder what took her so long to tell us!" Ace said, letting Catarrah down. "What's the reason?"

Catarrah shrugged a little and said, "I was nervous that you wouldn't accept me, and you'd be sent away and then I'd be adopted and I love you too much!"

"Awwww, dear heart..." Mags nuzzled Catarrah gently and held her, stroking her between the ears. "We'd never leave you behind. When you were born, Ace and I promised to love you unconditionally."

Ace nodded. "It's just like the old saying, 'No packmate left behind.'"

"Exactly!" Mags smiled. "Do you know what name you want?"

Catarrah shook her head. "I haven't even thought about it!"

Mags hummed, and gave her tail a few thoughtful flicks. "Why not... Catarrah? Our word for resilience?"

The aforementioned wolf smiled and nodded, her own tail wagging furiously. "Yes yes yes yes!"

Ace grinned, "Then you are Catarrah, daughter of Lykosia! Or you will be once the ceremony happens!”

“I’ll go out to the mayor’s office and get to work on the preparations,” said Mags, already preparing to leave. “I’ll be back in a few hours!” She left, leaving Ace and Catarrah to their own devices.

* * *

Lykosia was one of the oldest kingdoms in Etheria, having formed shortly after the planet was moved to Despondos. What began a small tribe of a dozen or so wolves soon blossomed into a village. They were led by Garoux, the very first of the Unbound Ones. She carried a connection to Etheria’s magic that non-Unbound did not have, making her the most powerful of her species. In the vacuum formed by the breaking of the She-Ra line, Garoux took on the role of protector, for her own kind as well as the rest of Etheria.

Time passed. Garoux grew old, and she could not fight as well as she once had. Sensing the end of her life was near, she searched the village for another Unbound, and found one: a strong male known as Remus. In the small, solemn ceremony that followed, Garoux asked three questions: “Will you serve your kingdom with honor? Will you protect your own people, as well as Etheria? Will you, when the time is right, pass on your role to another?” Remus agreed, and so began the sacred tradition of the Unbound. 

At first, there was but one in every generation, but as decades and centuries passed, the count multiplied. After a hundred years, it was decided that the eldest of all Unbound would become the protector, while the others would act only when called upon to assist.

When the Princess Alliance first formed, the role of the Unbound Ones changed. With the rest of Etheria safe, they could focus on protecting their own kind, and the centuries of culture and tradition that had grown with them. The Elder Unbounds became wise, knowledgable souls, and began assisting their fellow Lykosians in ways beyond combat. This was the world Catarrah was born into. Little did she know that she, through no fault of her own, would become the last daughter of Lykosia, and thus, the last of the Unbound Ones.

* * *

The next day, the entire village of Fenris turned out for Catarrah’s Unbounding ceremony. In one part of the square, cushions had been set up for everyone to sit on, and in front of all of them was a raised platform where Catarrah and the village’s Elder Unbound, Tírecam, would stand during the ceremony. Off to the side was a table filled with food and drink, which would be eaten after the parade.

One by one, the citizens of Fenris left their houses and sat on the cushions. When Catarrah and her family arrived, her moms went to sit down, while Catarrah herself turned to the stage. She didn’t move, suddenly afraid that everyone’s eyes would be on her.

Ace came up and nuzzled her cheek. “You can do this, pup,” she whispered. “I believe in you.”

“I can do this,” Catarrah echoed, taking a cautious step forward. “I can do this…” She kept it up, repeating it over and over in her mind as she walked until eventually she was on the stage and Tírecam was there, smiling at her.

Tírecam had snow white fur and blue eyes. She smiled at Catarrah and said, “Your mothers have told me you have already chosen your name, young one… will you say it aloud for all to hear?”

“Catarrah!” she squeaked, throwing her arms out wide. “My name is Catarrah! And I’m a girl!”

Tírecam nodded. “Then… young Catarrah of Fenrir Village… Will you serve your kingdom with honor?”

“I will, Elder,” Catarrah answered promptly. 

“Will you protect your own people, as well as Etheria?” asked Tírecam. 

“Yes!” Catarrah squeaked.

There was a dramatic pause, and Tírecam asked her last question. “Will you, when the time is right, pass on your role to another?”

Catarrah couldn’t imagine when that day would come, but she nodded just the same. “I will.”

Nodding satisfactorily, Tírecam’s paws began to glow, and she placed them on Catarrah’s shoulders, looking into the sky. “Lunar Goddesses of Etheria, bless this young soul with her true self, and allow her the chance to live as all she really is.”

There was another brief pause, and then Catarrah began to change. She became a little taller, and a little slimmer, just as all Lykosian girls looked. A mark appeared on her hip, a crescent moon. This marked her as a female Unbound One. (The males had the same image but reversed.) In a few moments she was entirely female.

Tírecam placed a necklace with blue, pink, and white beads around her neck and smiled. “By the power vested in me as the Elder Unbound of Fenris Village, I do now pronounce you to be Catarrah Sicmet, Daughter of Lykosia.” Then, she turned to the crowd. “Let the festivities begin!”

* * *

The parade went all the way through the kingdom, it was an opportunity for all of Lykosia to meet their newest Unbound One. Catarrah, her parents, and Tírecam were at the front, while banner-carriers (holding the Lykosian and Unbound flags) followed behind. Crowds cheered and howled to the sky above, and Catarrah joined in, howling like only a wolf can.

After the parade came the party. A cake, decorated with pink and white icing, was cut to reveal chocolate beneath. There were also cookies, scones, muffins, and cupcakes, on top of delicious fizzy drinks and warm dinner foods like macaroni and cheese. It was a proper feast, and Catarrah ate as much as she could.

As the moons rose, a dark-blonde furred wolf with blue-grey eyes approached Catarrah. She smiled shyly. “Hi… I’m Celia,” she began. “I’m an Unbound too.” She turned slightly to one side and Catarrah could see the crescent moon on her hip. “I just moved here from Sanbourne… will you be my friend?”

Catarrah smiled. “Duh, of course! Nice to meet you, Celia!” She gave the other Unbound a hug, which made her blush. “Welcome to Fenris!”

“It’s nice to be welcome,” Celia replied, smiling back. “I’ve never lived in a village with so many other Unbound Ones before… Sanbourne didn’t have very many.”

“How come you moved?” Catarrah asked.

“My parents wanted me to be around others of our kind,” Celia replied. “I was the only Unbound in my old school, so during magic class I kinda sorta… blew up a few things?” She blushed some more.

Catarrah giggled. “I bet I might blow up a few things when the school year starts… we can do it together!”

“Yeah!” Celia grinned, her tail wagging furiously. “I like you Catarrah, I think we’re going to be great friends!”

Now it was Catarrah’s turn to blush. “Yeah, me too! Maybe we can play some more tomorrow? I think I can see my moms coming to take me home.”

Celia nodded. “Yeah, tomorrow! See you then!”

Catarrah waved, just Ace snuck up from behind her and picked her up, carrying Catarrah on her shoulders. “Come on, pup,” she said, grinning. “All the good little wolves have to go to bed sometime.”

Catarrah giggled. “Am I a good little wolf?” she asked.

“You’re the best little wolf in the whole world,” Mags added, smiling too. “And we’re both very proud of you.” With that, they headed home, an exciting and momentous day behind them.

* * *

A couple of months later, the seasons began to change. The days grew cooler, and the nights cold. Leaves began to change color from green to red, yellow, and orange. With the coming of autumn came the start of school, a time every pup in Lykosia dreaded. After all, it meant they couldn’t play outside all day, and instead had to spend their time inside learning!

“Catarrah, time to get up for school!” Mags called, knocking on the door of her daughter’s bedroom.

She was met with a loud groan. “Augh… Mama, I don’t wanna go to school!” Catarrah called out.

Mags laughed. “Sweetheart, you have to go! You won’t be able to see Celia otherwise, and Ace is making waffles!”

“Fine…” Catarrah got up and padded out of her room, following Mags down the hall to the kitchen.

“Morning, pup!” Ace said happily, pressing another batch of batter into the waffle iron. “Sleep well?”

Catarrah nodded. “Yeah! I still don’t really want to go to school though…”

“I know, I know,” Ace replied, nuzzling Catarrah’s cheek. “But you have to! You want to become a strong wolf, don’t you?”

Catarrah nodded. “Okay, I guess I’ll go.” She stuck out her tongue.

Mags chuckled and booped Catarrah’s nose, “Silly little pup. Go wash your paws, breakfast will be ready soon!”

“Okay!” Catarrah hugged her moms then ran off to clean herself up, her curls bouncing with every step she took.

As their daughter left, Mags turned to Ace. “That exchange student from Mystacor will be coming today, won’t he?”

Ace nodded. “Yeah… they should be arriving right now, in fact, him and his chaperone. They’ll be here for a year, learning about how other cultures use Etheria’s magic.”

“Been a while since a human’s walked in our kingdom,” Mags said, looking thoughtful. “I hope Catarrah likes him.”

“I bet she will,” Ace said, beginning to plate the waffles and drizzle them with syrup. “She’s always been good at making friends.” Then they heard the sound of their daughter’s paws scampering back to the kitchen, and quickly moved on to another topic.

* * *

In what seemed like no time at all, Catarrah walked through the doors of her school, still looking somewhat nervous. It was her first time back since her Unbounding ceremony, and she was nervous about how she might be received by the other students. The teacher was already there, he had messy black fur with white markings, and yellow eyes. His name was Magister.

Catarrah’s reverie was broken when suddenly, she was pounced on by a certain dark blonde pup! “Catarrah! I’m so glad to see you!” Celia exclaimed.

Catarrah yipped and nuzzled Celia’s cheek, smiling. “Good to see you too, Celia! Ready for school?”

Celia nodded. “You bet! I can’t wait to get started!” She got up and sat down on one of the cushions, inviting Catarrah to sit next to her. Catarrah did, and the two talked while the other students filed inside.

Lykosian schools were very simple. Since the villages were so small, there were only about a dozen or so pups in total, so everyone learned together in a single room. There were cushions on the floor for students to sit on, and a small kitchenette that could be used to prepare meals. Subjects taught included magic, history, mathematics, reading, physical education, (including the basics of hunting and self-defense) and the sciences.

Slowly but surely the rest of the class entered the building and sat down, talking quietly amongst themselves. Magister rose from the desk and cleared his throat.

“Good morning, class,” he began. “And welcome to the start of another school year. I am your instructor, Magister.” He cleated his throat and began to call the roll, and when everyone had said that they were, in fact, in the classroom, he rolled up his scroll and placed it back on the desk. 

“Before we begin today’s historical lecture,” Magister continued, “I have an announcement to make. Today we shall be joined by a human exchange student, the wizard Micah of Mystacor, and his chaperone Lady Light Spinner. They will arrive following our break for lunch.” 

This announcement was met by some curious mutterings and murmurings from the gathered pups. At least two young ones were heard to ask what a human even was!

“I sure hope they’re nice,” Celia said, from where she sat beside Catarrah.  
“Me too,” Catarrah replied, nervously flicking her tail. She’d never met a human before, and wasn’t sure what to expect. Still, she put her worries aside for the moment, so as to focus on that day’s lesson. 

“Today, we will be learning about She-Ra, the legendary mythical hero of Etheria,” Magister said, once the class had calmed back down again. “Prior to Mara, the She-Ra line existed as an unbroken chain for well over a millennium. Much like our Elder Unbound Ones, the line was passed down across the generations, protecting every kingdom of Etheria from harm.”

“But it did not last. Nearly a thousand years ago, Mara became the last of the She-Ra, but she was not fit for duty. She went mad, moving Etheria from its former home to an empty void known as Despondos. The name is from Ancient Etherian, it means ‘to give up on a promise.’ With Mara’s betrayal, the She-Ra line was broken, and the Unbound Wolves of Lykosia took their place.” A pause, and then: “Does anyone have any questions?”

Catarrah raised her paw at once, she was the only one who did. “Do you think She-Ra could return one day?”

Magister blinked, his eyes widening in surprise. “That is not a question I’ve ever been asked before… very good indeed, Miss Catarrah. The truth is, it is impossible to say for sure. One assumes, given that the She-Ra line passed out of living memory centuries ago, that there is no hope of any She-Ra being chosen. On the other hand, no one knows how the Sword of Protection chooses its wielders… perhaps the right one simply hasn’t been born yet.”

* * *

Shortly before lunch, a chariot arrived from Mystacor, and two humans stepped into the schoolhouse for the very first time. One of them was short, a boy of around Catarrah’s age, with light skin and messy black hair that was tied in a bun. Beside him was a tall woman with dark hair and grayish-skin, and bright green eyes. She wore a cloth over her mouth, and her ears were pointed.

“Class, allow me to introduce Micah, a first year wizard at Mystacor Academy, and his chaperone, Lady Light Spinner,” said Magister, gesturing to the two humans. The gathered pups all oooh’ed and awww’d collectively, and an excitable babble broke out as they all tried to ask a question at once.

“Please, everyone, do not overwhelm our guests!” Magister boomed, his voice carrying easily above the racket. “As it is lunchtime, you may use the opportunity to ask Master Micah a question, but please, one at a time! Is that understood?”

“Yes, Magister,” chorused the pups. 

With that, the class broke up for lunch as each student took out the meal packs that their parents had made for them. Catarrah’s contained a sandwich, an apple, and a cookie.

Micah came over to sit next to her, smiling. “So… uh… hi there! I’m Micah,” he said, offering his hand.

Catarrah instead nuzzled his cheek with her nose. At Micah’s confused look, she explained, “It’s how we greet each other.” She smiled at him. “I’m Catarrah. It’s nice to meet you, Micah.” She shook his hand, and for Micah it felt a little like shaking a dog’s paw.

“What’s the moon on your hip all about?” Micah asked. “Is it some kind of birth mark?”

Catarrah shook her head. “It means I’m an Unbound One,” she explained. “At first I was a boy, but then magic changed me into a girl, because that’s how I’m supposed to be. The kingdom was founded by an Unbound, and she passed on her gift for magic to every Unbound that followed her.”

“That’s amazing!” Micah beamed. “What kinds of spells can you do?”

Catarrah blushed. “Nothing fancier than telekinesis, right now… whenever I try to cast anything big, I accidentally explode stuff.”

“That used to happen to me too,” Micah said, nodding in understanding. “I could help you with your control if you want!”

Catarrah smiled. “Really? You’d do that for me?”

Micah nodded. “I sure would!”

Catarrah beamed and hugged him tight. “Thank you, Micah! You’re the best!” 

Micah blushed.

* * *

With Micah’s help, Catarrah’s spellcasting got better and better as she learned not only how to control the flow of magic through her body, but some of the very same spells Micah was learning in Mystacor, taught to her by Light Spinner.

Eventually however, Micah returned to Mystacor, much to Catarrah’s sadness. The two of them had formed a strong bond, and Catarrah’s parents would often tease their daughter, hinting that they might someday marry and have a few pups of their own. As it was, they continued their friendship by sending letters to one another via magic, so the distance did not seem quite so insurmountable.

In the rest of Lykosia, changes were afoot. Four years had passed since Micah’s departure, and the current king, a dark-furred wolf by the name of Karab, was nearing the end of his term, and an election would soon be held to choose his replacement. There were two candidates: Nitloc, a former member of his cabinet, who if elected would become the first queen in a thousand years, and Krumpf, a wealthy wolf from one of the kingdom’s few cities. He had bright orange fur and no government experience, and yet, many of Lykosia’s citizens seemed drawn to him.

This was not so in Fenris. Fenris supported Nitloc almost unanimously, and Catarrah’s parents felt sure that she would win the election. One of the few wolves in town who didn’t support her was Akanvi, Krumpf’s pampered daughter. She was a few years older than Catarrah, and though she played the role of innocent angel when adults were around, Catarrah knew better than anyone that in truth, she was more like a demon.

Akanvi sneered when she saw Catarrah enter the school one morning, just a month prior to the election. “Well, would you look at that! One of the changelings has arrived!” she said, tossing her hair as she spoke.

“I thought I told you to quit calling me that, Akanvi,” Catarrah said, her ears pinning back at the insult. “In fact, I’m pretty sure that Mr. Magister and my parents told you that, too!”

Akanvi scoffed. “I don’t have to listen to anything that old windbag says, changeling. Once my father becomes king, wolves like you are all going to be left behind in the wilds, where you belong!”

“You’re lying,” Catarrah gasped, taking a step back. “There’s not a wolf alive who would dare hurt one of the Unbound Ones!”

Akanvi smiled a cold, cruel smile. “Don’t be so sure, little changeling. Enjoy the next three months while you can, because by this time next year? You’ll be all on your own.” She turned her back on Catarrah as the teacher entered the room, wiping the smile from her face.

* * *

The mood was jubilant as the citizens of Fenris turned out to hear the nationwide election results being read. Due to a quirk of Lykosia’s election system, a candidate could lose the popular vote and become king, though such an event had only happened twice in a thousand years. The polls, however, showed that Nitloc would win the election handily, so the village-wide gathering had an atmosphere similar to a party.

This didn’t last. It was soon clear that Krumpf had an early lead in electors, (the people who actually chose the king) and Nitloc would have to work hard to keep up. It seemed, however, that would be too much to ask. As the vote totals went up, Krumpf’s lead was soon insurmountable, and by midnight, he had enough votes to be called the winner of the election.

As the citizens of Fenris realized this, the celebratory atmosphere began to drain away, and a deep sense of despair filled the town square. Balloons and bottles of sparkling grape juice went untouched, the food uneaten. Mags began to cry as she realized Krumpf had won, and Ace gathered their daughter on her shoulders, simply saying, “Come on, pup… you have school in the morning.”

Catarrah thought of what Akanvi had said. “Mama… they’re not gonna take me away from you, are they?” she asked, looking down at the crescent moon on her hip.

Ace growled. “If they put so much as a single paw on you, Cat, I’ll tear their hearts out myself. No one hurts my daughter and gets away with it.”

Mags nodded. “We’ll protect you or die in the attempt, Catarrah.” They soon reached home, and both of her mothers hugged her tight before putting her to bed. She did, in fact, have school in the morning.

* * *

Two months passed, and Krumpf was officially inaugurated as the new king of Lykosia. The ceremony was sparsely attended, much to his anger, so he forced the royal press secretary to state that the crowd was actually much larger than what had been reported, even though anyone could see that it was a transparent lie.

That turned out to be the least of his crimes, however. Working with a senior advisor, legislation was crafted that would constrain the influence of Unbound wolves in Lykosian society, for fear that they might choose to overthrow a duly elected king. (All Unbounds of voting age had voted for Nitloc.) To accomplish this, every Unbound wolf in the kingdom would be sent to internment camps located in the wilderness.

This news was met by protests from many citizens, all of whom wondered why in the world such a drastic step was necessary in a time of approaching war. The Horde had recently been gaining power in other parts of Etheria, and it was believed they would try to annex Lykosia next.

On the day that the Royal Guard were due to capture Fenris’ population of Unbound wolves, Catarrah did not go to school. Instead, her parents ordered her to stay in her room, with the door locked. Catarrah did so, hoping she wouldn’t get caught.

At nine o’clock, a loud booming sound echoed through the house. “OPEN UP!” barked one of the royal guards. “BY ORDER OF THE LYKOSIAN CROWN! RESIST, AND YOU WILL BE PUNISHED!”

“Leave us alone, you thugs!” Mags shouted, refusing to open the door, but starting to channel magic just in case. “We didn’t vote for Krumpf! He’s a liar and a traitor to this country, little more than a Horde puppet!”

Someone began to attack the door with a battering ram, and Ace and Mags hurried to try and block the door with what furniture they could. Inside her bedroom, Catarrah was hiding under the bed, shaking with fear. She quietly prayed to Luna, the Guardian Wolf of all Lykosians, who was said to watch upon her kind from her kingdom on Etheria’s largest moon.

While the guards were busy, Ace burst into the room. “Catarrah, you have to run,” she said, pulling her daughter out from under the bed. “Get out of town while you still can! Please!”

“I won’t leave you, Mama!” Catarrah cried, hugging Ace tight. “Never ever!”

“Cat, you have to go,” Ace insisted. “If you don’t, you’ll die!”

Catarrah shook her head. “No packmate left behind, Mama,” she simply said. “I’m strong, I can defend myself!”

That got Ace to smile, if only slightly. She took her daughter’s paw and squeezed it, as if for the last time. “I know you can,” she said softly. “Then I guess we haven’t any choice… come on!” They ran from the bedroom, headed for the living room.

By this time, the guards had managed to pour into the house, and Mags was already putting up a fight, doing her best to keep the guards at bay. Ace and Catarrah joined her, and soon all three of them were locked in combat with the six royal guards, with Catarrah using every defensive spell she could think of from her lessons with Micah and Light Spinner.

Unfortunately, the guards also had proper weapons, not just magic. At one point in the fight, when Mags stopped to catch her breath, one of the guards drove their sword through her chest. Blood spurted from the wound like a fountain, and Mags fell to the ground, her eyes wide and unseeing.

“MAMA!” screamed Catarrah, unable to comprehend the grisly sight in front of her. She turned on the guard who had killed Mags, her eyes beginning to glow white as she tapped into a source of magic only Unbound Ones could reach. More powerful bursts of magic came from her, and the guard in question was thrown through the wall and outside, impacting a nearby pine tree with a loud metallic thump.

On the other side of town, Horde soldiers, working on instructions from Krumpf and Hordak, quickly got to work setting the village aflame. Tíremac and her group of Unbound Ones had tried to stop them, but all ended up dead, while other Unbound Ones, like Celia, were dragged away into the internment camps.

The fire spread quickly, and Ace, sensing the end was near, hugged Catarrah one last time. “For the last time, run,” she said. “Be brave, pup. For me, for Mags, and for yourself.”

Catarrah sniffled. “I love you, Mama Ace…”

Ace kissed her daughter’s forehead. “I love you too, Catarrah… make us proud.” She let her daughter go, and Catarrah ran for her life, as the inferno grew closer and closer to her home.

* * *

Perched on a rocky outcropping, Catarrah watched sorrowfully as flames consumed the town she’d grown up in. She saw her school burn, the sand pit where she had played many times with Celia was incinerated. She could hear the screams of Unbound Ones like her as they were led into camps, and mournful howls filled the air.

Catarrah did not join them, feeling as though she had failed. Moons ago, at her Unbounding ceremony, Tírecam had asked if she would do her utmost to protect her kind, and she hadn’t. Her kind were being led into camps, or being burned alive, and her parents were dead.

Her gaze flicked to the blue, white, and pink necklace she wore around her neck. Distraught, she threw it off and tossed it into the distance, feeling unworthy of it. Then she stood, and took a step toward the flickering flames, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Miss Catarrah,” said a familiar voice. 

Catarrah looked up. “Miss Light Spinner? What are you doing here?”

“I came to ask you a question,” said Shadow Weaver, stroking Catarrah’s head. “Micah has completed his studies with me, and I saw a lot of potential in you when we last met… you could be a powerful mage yourself one day, should you choose to join me.”

“But I can’t leave my people!” Catarrah sniffed. “They need me!”

“Your people will soon be dead, Miss Catarrah,” Shadow Weaver replied. “Krumpf will not allow the other Unbound Ones to live, that is why he ordered them captured and the villages set aflame. Very soon, he will be ruler of a pile of ashes, and little else. Lykosia is doomed, Catarrah. But you still have a future.” She tilted up Catarrah’s head so they could look each other in the eye. “I can take you to a place where you will grow into a strong warrior, one your parents would be proud of… do you accept my offer?”

Catarrah was quiet. On the one paw, she didn’t want to abandon her people in their hour of need… but on the other paw, she was still young, and what Light Spinner said seemed true. It seemed like she didn’t have much of a choice. So she got up, and took Shadow Weaver’s hand. “Okay… I’ll go with you,” she said. “Maybe someday, I can return, right? And rebuild?”

“Maybe,” said Shadow Weaver. She turned away from the burning village, and with Catarrah following, they walked together into the dark night.


End file.
